Merchandise display unit



J. YODER Dec. 11%, 1969 MERCHANDISE DISPLAY UNIT 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed April 8, 1968 A TTUPNE Y Dec. 16, 1969 J. YODER MERCHANDISE DISPLAY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1968 m m m0 Wm m H P x 0 d ATTORNEY nited States Patent Ofifice 3,484,058 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 US. Cl. 248158 4 Ciaims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A merchandise display unit having a base which includes horizontal frame supports. Uprights for supporting backboards, trays and the like are carried by said supports and each have a tapered projection which is wedged within vertically spaced openings in a support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a merchandise display unit having a base which includes a frame support having spaced top and bottom members. The top and bottom members of said support each have an opening formed therein. The lower opening is of shorter length than and is centered under the upper opening. Uprights are carried by said support member and each includes a lower end carrying lateral projections having oppositely inclined downwardly converging edges. The lateral projections are slidably positioned within said upper and lower openings with each side edge thereof frictionally engaging the top and the bottom members of the support.

Heretofore the uprights of merchandise display units, gondolas and counters were inserted and rigidly mounted within frame supports by means separate therefrom, such as wedges, clamps, screws or bolts. These separate mounting means add to the number of parts required per unit which increases the cost of the unit and makes its assembly diflicult. This invention concerns a unitary means of rigidly and rapidly assembling an upright in a frame support without the use of separate wedges, clamps or bolts.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a merchandise display unit having preformed uprights which can be quickly and easily assembled and readily disassembled without requiring the use of separate connector parts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a merchandise display unit which is of simplified construction, low cost, great strength and adequate rigidity for its intended use.

Further objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a typical display unit having uprights mounted within frame supports.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an upright mounted within a frame support.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the upright and support shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified means of mounting an upright in a frame support.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and their application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The frame 10 of a typical merchandise display unit is shown in FIG. 1. The base of frame 10 includes longitudinal frame supports 12, transverse frame supports 14 and internal frame supports 16. These frame supports may be arranged in any variety of configurations and secured to one another by welding or other means. Flooring (not shown) preferably covers the frame base. Uprights 18 utilized to carry backboards, counters and trays associated with the display unit are mounted in selected frame supports. The arrangement of the frame supports and the location of the uprights will vary depending upon the function and design of the display unit.

One means of mounting an upright 18 to a frame support member is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5. Upright 18 is preferably tubular but may consist of an elongated member of any cross sectional configuration adaptable to support backboards, trays, counters and the like. The lower end 17 of upright 18 has tapered lateral projections, which is here shown, which may be formed by a plate 19 secured to the lower end of the upright by welding and projecting laterally therefrom. Plate 19 preferably is of an isosceles trapezoidal configuration and is secured to a side wall 21 of upright 18 with its shortest or lower edge 23 aligned with the bottom edge 25 of the upright and with the downwardly inwardly inclined side edges 29 arranged in complementary spaced and equiangular relation to the upright as shown in FIG. 5.

Frame support 20 is shown to be a C-shaped or channel member, but may be of tubular or other construction. As shown, support 20 includes side wall 22, upper flange or top member 24 and lower flange or bottom member 26. The width of upper flange 24 preferably exceeds the minimal cross sectional dimension of upright 18. Flange 24 has an aperture or cutout 28 formed therein of a shape generally corresponding to an upright 18, and including oppositely extending slots positioned adjacent the side wall 22. The aperture 28 is partly defined by web or portion 29 at the outer or marginal portion of flange 24 and is sized to freely accommodate the insertion of the tubular portion of upright 18. Each slot 30 communicates with aperture 28 and is of a width slightly larger than the thickness of plate 19 so as to permit the sliding insertion of the plate therein.

Lower flange 26 of support 20 has an opening or cutout 32 which directly underlies aperture 28 in flange 24. Opening 32 extends to and is defined in part by side wall 22 and is sized to freely accommodate the insertion of the tubular portion of upright 18. Flange 26 also has two oppositely extending slots 34 positioned adjacent side wall 22. Each slot 34 communicates with opening 32 and is of a width slightly larger than the thickness of plate 19 so as to permit the sliding insertion of the plate therein.

Upright 18 with its plate 19 is inserted downwardly through the upper flange aperture 28 and into the lower flange opening 32. The projecting side parts of plate 19 fit in the slots 30 and 34. The respective lengths of slots 30 and 34 are such that, as base edge 25 of upright 18 enters transverse slot 32, the side edges 29 of plate 19 simultaneously frictionally engage the end edges 36 of slots 34 and the end edges 37 of slots 30. Thus the projections of plate 19 hold the upright 18 in a rigid vertical position. The bottom edge 25 of upright 18 preferably does not extend below the bottom surface 39 of the lower flange 26.

A modified frame support construction is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this frame the tapered plate 19 is secured to side wall 21 of upright 18 with the bottom edge 23 thereof spaced below and substantially parallel to the bottom edge 25 of the upright. A frame support 40 is illustrated with side wall 42, upper flange or top member 44 and lower flange or bottom member 46. Flanges 44 and 46 may be of the same width. Upper flange 44 has a transverse opening or cutout 47 extending from its edge to the side wall 42. Opening 47 is sized to freely accommodate the upright 18. Upper flange 44 also has two iongitudinally extending opposed slots 48 (only one being shown) which communicate with opening 47. Each slot 48 is of a width slightly larger than the thickness of plate 19 so as to permit the sliding insertion of the plate therein.

Lower flange 46 of support 40 has a narrow longitudinal slot 50 having one side 52 substantially in the plane of the innerface of side wall 42. Slot 50 is vertically aligned with the slots 48 in flange 44. The width of slot 50 is slightly larger than the thickness of plate 19 so as to permit the sliding insertion of the lower projecting part of the plate 19 therein.

Upright 18 is inserted downwardly through upper flange opening 47 with plate 19 fitting in slots 48 and 50. The spacings of the ends of the respective slots 48 and 50 are such that, as base edge 25 of upright 18 approaches the top surface 51 of lower flange 46, spaced parts of plate 19 seat in the slots 48 and 50 with the edges 29 (only one shown) of plate 19 frictionally engaging the ends 55 of slots 48 and the ends 53 of slot 50 thereby holding the upright in a vertical rigid position with edge 25 preferably spaced from surface 51.

To remove upright 18 from either frame support 20 or 40, the upright need only be lifted vertically.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein given but may be modified.

What I claim is:

1. In a merchandise display unit having a base which includes a frame support having spaced top and bottom members extending substantially parallel to each other, and an upright carried by said frame support, the improvement comprising a pair of lateral projections carried by the lower end of said upright and having oppositely inclined downwardly converging side edges spaced laterally outwardly relative to opposite sides on said upright, said support top member having a slotted opening of a shape corresponding to the cross section of said upright and said lateral projections, said support bottom member having a slotted opening of similar shape and of shorter length than the opening in said top member and centered thereunder, an upper portion of each of said lateral projections seating in the opening of the top member and a i 4 lower portion of each of said lateral projections seatting in the opening of the bottom member, the side edges of said lateral projections frictionally engaging the end edges of said top and bottom member openings to rigidly position and support said upright within said frame support.

2. The merchandise display unit of claim 1, wherein said lateral projections include a substantially vertical planar part having an isosceles trapezoidal configuration.

3. The merchandise display unit of claim 2, wherein the base edge of said planar part is substantially aligned with the bottom edge of said upright, said support top and bottom member each having a cutout which communicates with a said slotted opening and which receives a portion of the lower end of said upright.

4. In a merchandise display unit having a base which includes a frame support having spaced, laterally extending top and bottom members, and an upright carried by said frame support, the improvement comprising a pair of first lateral projections carried by the lower end or" said upright having oppositely downwardly converging side edges spaced laterally outwardly relative to opposite sides of said upright, said support top member having a slotted opening of a shape corresponding to the cross section of said upright and said lateral projections, said support bottom member having an opening substantially centered under the opening in said support top member, an upper portion of each of said lateral projections seating in the opening of the top member, and a pair of second lateral projections having oppositely inclined wedge means extending laterally outwardly relative to said opposite sides of said upright and seating in the Opening of the bottom member, the side edges of said first lateral projections frictionally engaging the end edges of said top member opening, and the Wedge means frictionally engaging edges of the bottom member opening to rigidly position and support said upright within said frame support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,466 1/1962 Levy 248-l58 1,176,137 3/1916 Ette 248224 2,897,928 8/1959 Selig 248224 K FOREIGN PATENTS 995,555 8/1951 France.

RAMON S. BRITIS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

